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Targeted Harassment: The Spread of #CoronaJihad | Media Manipulation Casebook

In the spring of 2020, a viral slogan purporting that Muslims were purposely spreading COVID-19 in India was disseminated online using recontextualized videos. India’s ruling political party eventually adopted the term, allowing it to spread even further, leading to harassment before critical press and mitigation efforts by social media platforms dampened the campaign. Based on the evidence and pattern of activity, #coronajihad was likely not a campaign crafted and executed by a single set of operators, but rather one in which individuals participated organically, with influencers helping to spread the spread the slogan in the early stages.

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Source: Targeted Harassment: The Spread of #CoronaJihad | Media Manipulation Casebook